32. Rain at Midnight
Sailor Raspberry
307 Words
"I've never stayed up this late before," she whispered into the mouthpiece of her phone. "Is that bad?"
From the other end, his laughter crackled into her ears. "Of course not. But you're almost in college, Usa. Might as well get used to it."
She rolled over, and the phone cord tangled her up. "What's it like? America, I mean."
"Not the same as home. But, well, right now, I'm eating lunch at this outdoor café that you would love. Although, it's beginning to rain, so I might have to head inside soon."
There was a rumble in the background, and then the distinctive sound of a downpour. She could hear a stampede of footsteps as people hurried for cover.
He was panting by the time he spoke to her again. "My spaghetti and meatballs are ruined."
Usagi laughed. "And your books?"
She could picture him slapping himself in the forehead. "Oops."
She smiled and rolled back toward the window. The moon, bloated and white in the sky, peered out from behind a pile of hovering clouds. A moment of silence tinkered past, and she could feel his grin through the phone.
"I should probably get to bed," she said, propping herself up against the headboard. "My parents are starting to complain about the long-distance bill."
"Alright, Usako. Sleep tight."
She nodded, and even though he couldn't see her, she placed her hand over her heart. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Always."
She pulled the phone away from her ear, but before she could will herself to press the off button, a crack of lightning lit the sky.
"Mamo-chan!"
She heard him fumble with his phone. "Usako?"
Her window splattered with streams of water. "It's raining here, too."
She looked back up at the moon, and could have sworn she saw his smile.
"I know."